Though the Internet has mostly limited the need for printed materials, there's just something appealing about five pounds of inky paper dedicated to the American automotive experiment (j/k, keep reading blogs). There are many great resources out there for the car fan, but the "Encyclopedia of America Cars" is one of our favorites. Compiled by the auto editors of Consumer Guide, this beauty weighs in at nearly 900 pages and includes detailed descriptions of every car by every major American brand for the last 70 years.

Our own personal copy is of the 1996 vintage, and thus includes hilarious paragraphs such as this "At this writing there's talk of yet another Imperial, only spun from the striking "cab forward" of the 1994 New Yorker and LH-S. Perhaps that one will be a happier chapter in the history of Chrysler's premium make."

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The writing is honest and sometimes quite funny, but the best part is the inclusion of the variations, weight, price, production and engine variations of every model from every manufacturer included in the book. This also includes photos of every major deviation, so you can compare a 1974 Mustang II Mach 1 Hatchback coupe to a 1974 Mustang II "Grande" Prototype. If you've got the money to spend, it'll occupy a treasured space on any true car lover's garage bookshelf.